


the traditions associated with eternity

by sulfuric



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 12:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3569075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sulfuric/pseuds/sulfuric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas wants to propose to Dean, but he has some things to learn about the act itself first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the traditions associated with eternity

 

It happened on a Wednesday. 

 

Dean was out on a burger run and due to be back soon. Sam and Cas were sitting at the bunker’s long table, musty books and empty beer bottles spread out over it’s length.

 

Cas inhaled deeply and looked up at Sam. “I’m thinking of asking Dean to marry me.”

 

Sam’s eyes widened and he coughed loudly, choking on his beer. After a few more coughs, he blinked a few times and glanced over to Cas. “Are you asking me for my brother’s hand in marriage?” he asked, tone level.

 

“His hand?” Cas stopped, eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “No, Sam, I want to marry all of him, not just his- what?”

 

Sam stopped for a moment, watching Cas’s utterly confused expression. Then he burst out into laughter.

 

“Sam,” Cas said, a small frown forming on his lips as he leaned forward on the table. “my intention to marry your brother isn’t a-”

 

“No, no,” Sam said, waving Castiel off, trying to control his laughter. “that’s fine. Honestly, I expected it to happen a lot sooner.” Cas perked up a bit and Sam continued. “I was laughing because… It’s a human tradition. Asking for the person’s hand in marriage.”

 

Cas frowned again. “I don’t understand. Why would I ask you for his hand?”

 

Sam smiled, shaking his head. “Well, generally, before you propose to someone, you ask their family for permission.”

 

“Oh.” Cas said. After a moment, with the utmost seriousness, he asked, “Sam, can I have your permission to ask Dean to marry me?”

 

Sam resisted the urge to laugh again at the angel sitting across from him. Cas still had a lot to learn about humans, and his misunderstandings never failed to amaze Sam. But despite his amusement, Sam was actually really happy that Cas was finally taking this step. He knew that him and Dean loved each other endlessly and it was about time that one of them proposed. Sam smiled as he spoke. “Yes, Cas. You have my permission.”

 

“Wonderful.” Cas said, biting his lip to hold back the huge smile that was threatening to take over his whole face. “I’ll ask him when he gets back with the burgers.”

 

Sam stopped, blinking in surprise. “Oh. That’s uh, fast. Okay.”

 

The smile on Cas’s face dropped instantly. “Do you think it’s too soon?”

 

“No, no!” Sam backtracked, “It’s just, uh- do you have a ring?”

 

Cas cocked his head to the side. “A ring?”

 

Sam glanced over to the stairs leading from the entrance of the bunker. Dean could be back any minute. “An engagement ring.” Sam explained quickly, “It’s another tradition- Cas, how much do you, uh, know about marriage?”

 

“Humans get married when they’re in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together. Dean and I are in love. I want to spend eternity with him.”

 

Cas’s unashamed professions of love for Dean never failed to shock Sam. “Well, you’ve got that part down. But there’s a bit more to it than that. Usually when you propose, you give the other person a ring to symbolize eternity and all that crap.”

 

“A ring.” Cas repeated, thoughts starting to wander. “I’ll get a ring.”

 

Then, the sound of the door opening filled the room. A distant voice drifted down into the study. “I got food!” A moment later Dean was making his way down the stairs, greasy take-out bag in hand. “Hey.” he said, corners of his lips flicking upwards at the sight of Cas.

 

“Hey.” Cas replied, bounding up out of his chair and giving Dean a quick kiss on the cheek before starting up the stairs. “Gotta go.” he said, winking at Sam before heading out the door.

 

Dean gave Sam a confused look. “Okay.” he said, setting the bag of food down on the table in between two books.

 

Sam could only shrug.

 

 

 

A few days later, when Dean was taking a nap, Cas came into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. “I got a ring.” he said, fingers tapping excitedly on the counter.

 

“You got a ring?” Sam asked, turning away from the pasta cooking on the stove.

 

“Yes.” Cas replied, producing a red velvet box from the pocket of his coat. He opened it and Sam peered inside. Set on a silk pillow was a simple, dark silver band. “Iron,” Cas said bashfully, “I thought it would be useful for when we come across spirits.”

 

“That’s really thoughtful,” Sam said quietly as he looked closer at the ring. “It’s beautiful. What does it say?” he asked, squinting at the engravement on the inside of the shiny band.

 

“It’s enochian.” Cas said, cheeks blushing slightly. He picked up the ring gingerly and held it up for Sam to see. “It says, uh, it means-”

 

Sam laughed lightly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Cas smiled and put the ring carefully back in it’s place. “It’s really beautiful, Cas. Dean will love it.” Sam said.

 

“Thank you.” Cas said, slipping the box back into his pocket. “I also got a matching ring for myself. The woman who helped me out said it was _tradition._ ” he gave Sam a wink. Sam couldn’t help but bite back a laugh as he imagined Cas, dirty trenchcoat and all, at a high-end jeweller, asking about marriage traditions.

 

“So,” Sam started, turning to stir his pasta. “How are you gonna propose to him?”

 

“I was just planning on asking him .” Cas replied, eyebrows drawn together slightly.

 

“Oh.”

 

Cas frowned. “Is that not tradition?”

 

“No, no, that’s fine. A lot of people do it in different ways. But I’m sure Dean will love it no matter how you ask him.” Sam stirred his pasta thoughtfully. It was direct. It was blunt. But it was also very Cas. But that was what Dean loved, and if Cas did it any other way it wouldn’t be the same. Sam spoke up again. “He really loves you, Cas. He’ll think it’s perfect.”

 

Cas’s face lit up. “He should be waking up soon.”

 

 

 

Sam went to bed early that night, thinking about Dean and Cas. It was only last year that they’d finally admitted their feelings for each other, but it felt like an eternity ago. Even before then, Sam had known that his brother had found his soulmate. It made him happy to think that they were finally going to be married- Dean didn’t talk about his feelings that often, but Sam had noticed the change that being with Cas had caused in Dean. The past year had transformed Dean into a healthier, happier version of himself. From the very beginning, Sam knew that Cas would somehow always be a part of Dean’s life, one way or another.

 

And when Sam saw Dean the next morning with a soft smile on his face and the iron band on fourth finger of his left hand, he knew that he had been right.

 

 


End file.
